America's Cup: New Cup cat purrs 'like F1 car'

7:51 PM Fri 28 Jan 2011 GMT

'Russell Coutts steers the AC45 for the first time' Gilles Martin-Raget/www.americascup.com Click Here to view large photo

Sir Russell Coutts felt like Barney Rubble when he climbed on board the wingsail catamaran - the new face of the America's Cup - on the Hauraki Gulf this week. After declaring the new style of Cup racing under his watch would meet the expectations of the Facebook generation, not that of the Flintstones, Coutts yesterday admitted feeling a little prehistoric sailing the AC45 built to usher in the new era. He is, after all, 48, and far from race-fit after a minor illness over Christmas. Yet it took only a minute before he kicked Oracle Racing skipper Jimmy Spithill ...

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by Suzanne McFadden